Hollow wire and methods of use thereof

ABSTRACT

A hollow wire and method of using the hollow wire to wrap or support a flower stem or floral grouping, and/or use in construction, crafts, hobbies, or other uses in need of wire products.

CROSS-REFERENCE TO RELATED APPLICATIONS

This application is a continuation of U.S. Ser. No. 11/881,164, filedJul. 26, 2007; which is a divisional of U.S. Ser. No. 11/823,429, filedJun. 27, 2007, now abandoned; which claims benefit under 35 U.S.C.119(e) of U.S. Ser. No. 60/816,745, filed Jun. 27, 2006.

The '164 application is also a continuation-in-part of U.S. Ser. No.10/973,861, filed Oct. 26, 2004, now U.S. Pat. No. 7,426,813, issuedSep. 23, 2008; which is a divisional of U.S. Ser. No. 10/970,979, filedOct. 22, 2004, now U.S. Pat. No. 7,726,622, issued Jun. 1, 2010; whichclaims benefit under 35 U.S.C. 119(e) of provisional application U.S.Ser. No. 60/572,149, filed May 18, 2004.

The entire contents of each of the above-referenced patents and patentapplications are hereby expressly incorporated herein by reference.

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION

Wire is a commonly used mechanical aid in floral arranging and numerousother fields. In the floral industry, the most important uses for wireinclude supporting flower stems, such as in straightening a curved stem,curving a straight stem, or gathering and holding multiple stemstogether. While floral arrangers generally want to avoid any visiblewires and other aids, for many florists the wiring of stems isconsidered a requirement for increasing customer satisfaction. Supportwires can help prevent breakage of the flower heads during delivery andalso assist flowers in receiving adequate water. Other important uses ofsupport wires include their use in flower stem replacement, creatingaccessory stems in corsage and carried bouquet construction, joiningstems into clusters for a single insertion, plus a wide array of othermiscellaneous attachment and joining functions.

Florist wire is often treated (annealed) for improved flexibility and isoften coated with an enamel (often green) to resist rusting and to blendwith the floral stems and foliage. Florist wire is available from floralcrafts stores in small quantities of 6″ or 12″ lengths, but floristsusually obtain the 18″ length in 12 pound boxes, from which they can cutthe other needed sizes. The important distinction among the wire strandsis their size or gauge. Wire size is related by the gauge number: thesmaller the wire diameter, the larger the gauge number. The generalapplications of the different wire sizes used by florists include, butare not limited to: heavy wire of #16-#18 gauge is used to support largestems or heavy flowers such as lilies, gladiolus, and snapdragons;medium weight wire of #20-#22 gauge is used to support stems of suchflowers as roses, carnations, and chrysanthemums; light weight wire of#24-#26 gauge is used for replacing stems in corsages and bridalbouquets with flowers of average size, or to support smaller or lighterflower stems; very fine wire of #28-#30 gauge is used for delicatecorsage flowers and for binding together stems with a heavier supportwire; ultra fine wire of #32-#36 gauge is used for very delicate flowersand fine work in bridal arrangements, dainty corsages, and forglamellias.

The several methods of wiring replacement stems can be used in corsageconstruction. For general arranging work the emphasis is on stemsupport, with the selected method based on the character of the flowerstem. In the majority of situations, the straight-wire (or wrapped wire)method will be used. Roses, carnations, and many other flowers withsolid stems are usually wired in this way. One end of the wire isinserted into the base of the calyx (the stem enlargement just below theflower). The insertion needs to be only deep enough to keep the wire endfrom slipping out, as the rest of the wire is loosely wrapped in aspiral down the stem. With the wire of the appropriate gauge, it shouldbe easy to flex the wire around the leaves, but one should avoid makingtoo many turns around the stem with the wire. When completed, the wireshould be reasonably straight for best wire strength and support. Someflowers, such as chrysanthemums, have a small, flat calyx which may nothold the wire end as desired. For these flowers, the hook-wire methodcan be more effective. In this method, the wire end is pushed from thecalyx base through the flower face. A small hook is made in the wireend, and the wire is then pulled back to embed (and conceal) the wire inthe flower face. The remaining wire is loosely wrapped about the stem asfor the straight-wire method. A third technique, insertion wiring, worksbest with those flowers having fleshy or hollow stems, such as but notlimited to, many of the spring bulb flowers. An outside wire wrap wouldonly crush these stems. Instead, the wire is passed up through thehollow stem until it is imbedded in the calyx from the inside.

Some additional wire forms are also used in commercial and home floralarranging. When making wreaths or floral sprays, a continuous length ofsmaller gauge wire is needed for binding together the components as theyare added. Paddle wire, either green-enameled or unpainted in #20-#26gauges, is readily available for this purpose. Some arrangers will alsouse products referred to as twist-ems or twist-ties, which compriseswire enclosed in a narrow paper cover. This product is available incontinuous rolls to cut to the length needed. Another common supportmaterial is referred to as the chenille stem or pipe cleaner. Thissupport material is actually composed of two wire strands that aretwisted to hold threads, such as fuzzy colored threads, that make up thestem body. Most chenille stems are used in corsage work or in makingaccessories, but some other applications are possible when a coloredjoining wire may be desired.

An alternative joining material is floral tape or paraffin tape. This isa thin paper tape impregnated with paraffin. Such tape may be usedinstead of wire to secure a stem to a wood pick or to bind together acluster of stems. It is also used as a wire wrap for extra rustresistance when the wire is in direct contact with water. It may alsogive a cushion along the wire to reduce possible damage to a delicateflower or stem. The tape typically comes in rolls of ½″ or 1″ width in avariety of colors. The main use of floral tape is in the construction ofcorsages, but there are opportunities for its benefit as a generalfloral arranging mechanical aid.

Floral ribbon wire may be used in corsage and carried flowerarrangements, commercial designs and some home designs. Sucharrangements and designs may include bows or various ribbon accessoriesas an important visible component or for other appropriate uses.

Wired ribbon (also referred to herein as “ribbon wire”) can beconstructed by sandwiching wire between webs of satin (acetate) ribbon.The wired ribbon may have a solid color, or the wired ribbon may haveprinted patterns, lace or eyelet edges, or other decorative treatments.The finish on the two sides of the wired ribbon may the same ordifferent; for example, one side of the wired ribbon may be satin orshiny finish, while the other side may reveal a fabric weave and have aduller finish.

Flocked or velvet wired ribbon may be satin ribbons with a velvetytexture on one side. This added thickness makes them stiffer to aid inthe production of bows, and the image of this added thickness is alsoespecially popular for adding texture to holiday wreaths and otherarrangements, as well as for use simply as bows or streamers alone.Cloth wired ribbon offers a wide variety of colors and patterns. Theseare usually one-sided colors or prints only, and the cloth does notoffer the same crispness as satin ribbon for bow loops. Paper is alsoused as a wired ribbon material. These are made in a variety of solidcolors and widths. The paper wired ribbon is loosely folded and twistedinto a narrow coil, and it is unfolded as desired for use in a bow,wrap, or other decorative effect. This wrinkling in the paper adds tothe informal image of the arrangement where this type of wired ribbon isappropriate. Wired ribbon allows dramatic images to be created, e.g.,ribbon streamers can be softly bent to suggest that they are moving dueto wind. While this does add to the ribbon cost, it also allows for adesign impact that is not possible from the other types of wiredribbons. Other options that may fit the ribbon class of accessoriesinclude but are not limited to, curling ribbons, metallic cord, andsolid or multi-colored yarn.

U.S. Pat. No. 5,293,713 discloses a hollow tubular device having alongitudinal opening. The hollow device can be used to enclose andsurround a plant stem for supporting the stem in a floral arrangement.However, this tubular device cannot be used to wrap a floral stem, orinserted into a floral stem, or used in other aspects of floralconstruction or decoration in the same way floral wire can be used.

The presently disclosed and claimed inventive concept(s) is directed toa novel type of hollow wire which retains the size, strength andusefulness of a solid wire while reducing the weight of the wire. Suchhollow wire may be utilized in any desired floral packaging, including,but not limited to, floral stem support, and paddle and spool wire.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

FIG. 1 is a perspective view of a hollow wire constructed in accordancewith the presently disclosed and claimed inventive concept(s).

FIG. 2 is a cross-sectional view of the hollow wire of FIG. 1 takenalong line 2-2 thereof.

FIG. 3 is a perspective view of a hollow wire constructed in accordancewith the presently disclosed and claimed inventive concept(s).

FIG. 4 is a cross-sectional view of the hollow wire of FIG. 3 takenalong line 4-4 thereof.

FIG. 5 is a perspective view of a hollow wire constructed in accordancewith the presently disclosed and claimed inventive concept(s).

FIG. 6 is a cross-sectional view of the hollow wire of FIG. 5 takenalong line 6-6 thereof.

FIG. 7 is a perspective view of a hollow wire constructed in accordancewith the presently disclosed and claimed inventive concept(s).

FIG. 8 is a cross-sectional view of the hollow wire of FIG. 7 takenalong line 8-8 thereof.

FIG. 9 is a perspective view of a hollow wire constructed in accordancewith the presently disclosed and claimed inventive concept(s).

FIG. 10 is a cross-section view of the hollow wire of FIG. 9 taken alongline 10-10 thereof.

FIG. 11 is a perspective view of a hollow wire constructed in accordancewith the presently disclosed and claimed inventive concept(s).

FIG. 12 is a cross-section view of the hollow wire of FIG. 11 takenalong line 12-12 thereof.

FIG. 13 is a perspective view of a hollow wire constructed in accordancewith the presently disclosed and claimed inventive concept(s).

FIG. 14 is a cross-section view of the hollow wire of FIG. 13 takenalong line 14-14 thereof.

FIG. 15 is a perspective view of a hollow wire constructed in accordancewith the presently disclosed and claimed inventive concept(s).

FIG. 16 is a cross-section view of the hollow wire of FIG. 15 takenalong line 16-16 thereof.

FIG. 17 is a perspective view of a hollow wire constructed in accordancewith the presently disclosed and claimed inventive concept(s).

FIG. 18 is a cross-section view of the hollow wire of FIG. 17 takenalong line 18-18 thereof.

FIG. 19 is a perspective view of a coated hollow wire constructed inaccordance with the presently disclosed and claimed inventiveconcept(s).

FIG. 20 is a cross-section view of the coated hollow wire of FIG. 19taken along line 20-20 thereof.

FIG. 21 is a perspective view of a coated hollow wire constructed inaccordance with the presently disclosed and claimed inventiveconcept(s).

FIG. 22 is a cross-section view of the coated hollow wire of FIG. 21taken along line 22-22 thereof.

FIG. 23 is a perspective view of a hollow wired ribbon constructed inaccordance with the presently disclosed and claimed inventiveconcept(s).

FIG. 24 is a cross-section view of the hollow wired ribbon of FIG. 23taken along line 24-24 thereof.

FIG. 25 is a perspective view of a hollow wired ribbon constructed inaccordance with the presently disclosed and claimed inventiveconcept(s).

FIG. 26 is a cross-section view of the hollow wired ribbon of FIG. 25taken along line 26-26 thereof.

FIG. 27 is a perspective view of a hollow wire constructed in accordancewith the presently disclosed and claimed inventive concept(s).

FIG. 28 is a perspective view of a flower stem having a hollow wire ofthe presently disclosed and claimed inventive concept(s) attachedthereto.

FIG. 29 is a perspective view of a flower stem having a hollow wire ofthe presently disclosed and claimed inventive concept(s) attachedthereto.

FIG. 30 is a perspective view of a flower stem having a hollow wire ofthe presently disclosed and claimed inventive concept(s) attachedthereto.

FIG. 31 is a perspective view of a flower stem having a hollow wire ofthe presently disclosed and claimed inventive concept(s) attachedthereto.

FIG. 32 is a perspective view of a flower stem having a hollow wire ofthe presently disclosed and claimed inventive concept(s) attachedthereto.

FIG. 33 is a perspective view of a flower stem having a hollow wire ofthe presently disclosed and claimed inventive concept(s) attachedthereto.

FIG. 34 is a perspective view of a floral grouping formed of a pluralityof flowers wherein a hollow wire of the presently disclosed and claimedinventive concept(s) is wrapped about stems of the flowers.

FIG. 35 is a perspective view of a corsage formed from a floral groupingand utilizing a hollow wire of the presently disclosed and claimedinventive concept(s) in the construction of the corsage.

FIG. 36 is a top plan view of a wire mesh formed of a hollow wire of thepresently disclosed and claimed inventive concept(s).

FIG. 37 is a pictorial representation of a floral easel having a floralgrouping connected to a support member formed of a hollow wire of thepresently disclosed and claimed inventive concept(s).

FIG. 38 is a perspective view of a stone or casket plaque easel formedof a hollow wire of the presently disclosed and claimed inventiveconcept(s).

FIG. 39 is a pictorial representation of the stone or casket plaqueeasel of FIG. 38 supported on a casket and having a floral groupingmounted thereon.

FIG. 40 is a pictorial representation of the stone or casket plaqueeasel of FIG. 38 supported on a headstone and having a floral groupingmounted thereon.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTIVE CONCEPT(S)

Floral wire is an important tool in the modern floral industry and isused for constructing floral bouquets, floral arrangements, corsages andthe like. The presently disclosed and claimed inventive concept(s)contemplates a novel hollow floral wire, and methods of use thereof inconstructing items such as but not limited to, floral bouquets, floralarrangements, corsages and the like. The hollow wire contemplated hereinmay also be used in the hobby and craft industries as well as in thefields of detonation and construction, for example, for tying togethermaterials such as steel or iron mesh or reinforcing rods and bars, orsimilar structures made of polymeric materials or wood materials.

The terms “flower”, “floral bouquet”, “floral arrangement”, “floralgrouping”, “corsage,” and other floral terms used herein will beunderstood to include at least one fresh, dried, or artificial floralmaterial, or any combination thereof. Such terms are not limited tofloral materials having both a bloom and stem end, but may include plantmaterials without a bloom end.

Referring now to the drawings, and more particularly to FIGS. 1 and 2,shown therein and designated by the general reference numeral 10 is ahollow wire constructed in accordance with the presently disclosed andclaimed inventive concept(s). The hollow wire 10 is provided with asidewall 12 having an outer surface 14, an inner surface 16, an outer(external) diameter 18, and an inner (internal) diameter 20. Thesidewall 12 of the hollow wire 10 is continuous and is thus closed alongsubstantially its entire length except at the terminal ends. The gaugeof the hollow wire 10 can vary widely and will depend to a large extenton the use of the hollow wire 10. The hollow wire 10 may be providedwith any gauge of wire known in the art as desirable for use in theapplications described herein. Generally, however, the gauge of thehollow wire 10 will range from 8 to 40, such as but not limited to,gauges 8, 10, 12, 14, 16, 18, 20, 22, 24, 26, 28, 30, 32, 34, 36, 38 and40. The gauge of the hollow wire 10 is, however, not limited to theseparticular sizes.

The hollow wire of the presently disclosed and claimed inventiveconcept(s) may be formed of any material that can function in accordancewith the presently disclosed and claimed inventive concept(s) asdisclosed and required herein. For example but not by way of limitation,the hollow wire of the presently disclosed and claimed inventiveconcept(s) may be constructed of steel, aluminum, other metals, metalalloys, polymers, paper, carbon fibers, carbon nanoparticles, carbonnanotube impregnated polymers, carbon nanotubes, combinations andderivatives thereof, and the like.

Shown in FIGS. 3 and 4 is another embodiment of hollow wire of thepresently disclosed and claimed inventive concept(s) designatedgenerally therein by the reference numeral 30. The hollow wire 30 isprovided with a sidewall 32, having an outer surface 34, an innersurface 36, an outer (external) diameter 38 and an inner (internal)diameter 40. The hollow wire 30 is similar in construction to the hollowwire 10 of FIGS. 1 and 2, except that the sidewall 32 of hollow wire 30is not continuous along its length and has a gap 44 formed between afirst longitudinal edge 46 and a second longitudinal edge 48 of thesidewall 32. The gap 44 is illustrated as extending longitudinally,completely or substantially completely, along the length of the hollowwire 30. However, it is to be understood that the gap 44 may only extendlongitudinally along only a portion of the length of the hollow wire 30,with the remainder of the length of the hollow wire 30 beingsubstantially closed.

Shown in FIGS. 5 and 6 is another embodiment of hollow wire of thepresently disclosed and claimed inventive concept(s) designated thereinby the reference numeral 50. The hollow wire 50 is provided with asidewall 52 having an outer surface 54, an inner surface 56, an outer(external) diameter 58 and an inner (internal) diameter 60. The hollowwire 50 is similar in construction to the hollow wire 30 of FIGS. 3 and4, except that the sidewall 52 of the hollow wire 50 has a firstlongitudinal edge 64 and a second longitudinal edge 66 which extendlongitudinally along the length of the hollow wire 50 and abut oneanother to form an abutting portion 68.

The abutting portion 68 may be attached or connected together by abonding material, or other methods known in the art; optionally, theabutting portion 68 may not be connected, and the shape of the hollowwire 50 may be maintained via the structural characteristics of thematerial from which the hollow wire 50 is formed. In addition, theabutting portion 68 is illustrated as extending longitudinally,completely or substantially completely, along the length of the hollowwire 50. However, it is to be understood that the abutting portion 68may only extend longitudinally along only a portion of the length of thehollow wire 50, with the remainder of the length of the hollow wire 50being open and/or the first and second longitudinal edges 64 and 66being overlapped.

Shown in FIGS. 7 and 8 is another embodiment of hollow wire of thepresently disclosed and claimed inventive concept(s) designatedgenerally therein by the reference numeral 70. The hollow wire 70 isprovided with a sidewall 72 having an outer surface 74, an inner surface76, an outer (external) diameter 78 and an inner (internal) diameter 80.The hollow wire 70 is similar in construction to the hollow wire 50 ofFIGS. 5 and 6, except that the sidewall 72 of the hollow wire 70 has afirst longitudinal edge 84 and a second longitudinal edge 86 whichextend longitudinally along the length of the hollow wire 70 and overlapto form an overlapping portion 88.

The overlapping portion 88 may be attached or connected together by abonding material, or other methods known in the art; optionally, theoverlapping portion 88 may not be connected, and the shape of the hollowwire 70 may be maintained via the structural characteristics of thematerial from which the hollow wire 70 is formed. In addition, theoverlapping portion 88 is illustrated as extending longitudinally,completely or substantially completely, along the length of the hollowwire 70. However, it is to be understood that the overlapping portion 88may only extend longitudinally along only a portion of the length of thehollow wire 70, with the remainder of the length of the hollow wire 70being open and/or the first and second longitudinal edges 84 and 86abutting one another.

Shown in FIGS. 9 and 10 is another embodiment of hollow wire of thepresently disclosed and claimed inventive concept(s) designatedgenerally therein by the reference numeral 90. The hollow wire 90 isprovided with a sidewall 92 having an outer surface 94, an inner surface96, an outer (external) diameter 98 and an inner (internal) diameter100. The hollow wire 90 is similar in construction to the hollow wire 70hereinbefore described with reference to FIGS. 7 and 8, except that thehollow wire 90 has a first longitudinal edge 104 and a secondlongitudinal edge 106 which are spatially disposed and overlap, thusforming a gap 108 which extends along the length of the hollow wire 90substantially as shown.

While the gap 108 is illustrated as extending longitudinally, completelyor substantially completely, along the length of the hollow wire 90, itis to be understood that the gap 108 may only extend longitudinallyalong only a portion of the length of the hollow wire 90, with theremainder of the length of the hollow wire 90 being open and/or thefirst and second longitudinal edges 104 and 106 being overlapped and/orabutted against one another.

While FIGS. 3-10 illustrate hollow wires with either a gap 44, anabutting portion 68, an overlapping portion 88, or an overlappingportion with a gap 108, extending along substantially the entire lengththereof, it is to be understood that a single length of hollow wire maybe provided with a combination of two or more of the above, eachextending separately along a portion of the length thereof. That is, thefirst and second longitudinal edges of a sidewall of a hollow wire mayabut one another along a portion of the length of the hollow wire, mayhave a gap between one another along another portion of the lengththereof, may overlap along another portion of the length of the hollowwire, and/or then may overlap but be spatially disposed from one anotherto provide a gap there between along yet another portion of the lengthof the hollow wire. It is to be understood that the hollow wire of thepresently disclosed and claimed inventive concept(s) may be providedwith any number and combination of structures disclosed herein along asingle length thereof.

While FIGS. 1-10 are illustrated as having a substantially circularcross-section, it is to be understood that the hollow wire of thepresently disclosed and claimed inventive concept(s) is not limited tosuch structures. Rather, any desired cross-sectional structure known inthe art for wire or hollow devices or otherwise contemplated for use bya person having ordinary skill in the art, given this disclosure, may beutilized in accordance with the presently disclosed and claimedinventive concept(s). For example but not by way of limitation, FIGS.11-14 specifically illustrate two other cross-sectional configurationsthat may be used in accordance with the presently disclosed and claimedinventive concept(s).

FIGS. 11 and 12 illustrate a hollow wire 110 provided with a sidewall112 having an outer surface 114, an inner surface 116 and an inner space118. The hollow wire 110 is provided with a substantially triangularcross-sectional configuration.

FIGS. 13 and 14 illustrate a hollow wire 130 provided with a sidewall132 having an oval, elliptical, or partially flattened cross-sectionalconfiguration. The sidewall 132 of the hollow wire 130 has an outersurface 134 and an inner surface 136. The sidewall 132 has a first outer(external) diameter 138 in a substantially vertical direction and asecond outer diameter 140 in a substantially horizontal direction. Thesidewall 132 also has a first inner (internal) diameter 142 in asubstantially vertical direction and a second inner diameter 144 in asubstantially horizontal direction. The hollow wire 130 has an innerspace 148.

While specific cross-sectional configurations are shown herein forvarious embodiments of the hollow wire described herein, it is to beunderstood that the hollow wire may have any desired cross-sectionalconfiguration known in the art, including but not limited to, circular,oval, elliptical, parabolic, open curve, closed curve, square,rectangular, pentagonal, hexagonal, octagonal, trapezoidal, or any otherpolygonal cross-sections known in the art.

While the embodiments of hollow wire described herein above are providedwith a substantially tubular structure, it is to be understood that thehollow wire of the presently disclosed and claimed inventive concept(s)is not limited to substantially closed, tubular structures. Instead, thehollow wire of the presently disclosed and claimed inventive concept(s)also includes open cross-sectional structures that function inaccordance with the presently disclosed and claimed inventiveconcept(s). FIGS. 15-18 and their accompanying description describe twoparticular embodiments of such open cross-sectional structures of hollowwire; however, it is to be understood that the presently disclosed andclaimed inventive concept(s) is not limited to the particular openstructures shown therein, but rather any open cross-sectional structurethat can function as hollow wire in the applications described hereinalso falls within the scope of the presently disclosed and claimedinventive concept(s).

FIGS. 15 and 16 illustrate one such embodiment of hollow wire having anopen cross-sectional structure in accordance with the presentlydisclosed and claimed inventive concept(s), the hollow wire beingdesignated generally therein by the reference numeral 150. The hollowwire 150 is provided with a sidewall 152 having an outer surface 154 andan inner surface 156, an outer (external) diameter 158, an inner(internal) diameter 160, a first longitudinal edge 162 and a secondlongitudinal edge 164. The hollow wire 150 is similar in construction tothe hollow wire 10 hereinbefore described with reference to FIGS. 1 and2, except that the hollow wire 150 is provided with a substantiallyhalf-circular cross-sectional configuration rather than the circularcross-sectional configuration of the hollow wire 10. That is, the firstand second longitudinal edges 162 and 164 of the hollow wire 150 do notconnect but rather are disposed substantially parallel to one anothersuch that the hollow wire 150 is provided with a substantiallysemi-circular or trough-shaped cross-sectional configuration thatprovides an inner space 166.

FIGS. 17 and 18 illustrate another embodiment of hollow wire having anopen cross-sectional structure of the presently disclosed and claimedinventive concept(s), the hollow wire being designated generally thereinby the reference numeral 170. The hollow wire 170 is provided with afirst leg portion 172 and a second leg portion 174. The second legportion 174 extends angularly from the first leg portion 172 so as toprovide the hollow wire 170 with a substantially V-shapedcross-sectional configuration substantially as shown in FIG. 18. Thus,the first and second legs 172 and 174 cooperate to define a trough 176extending along the length of the hollow wire 170. Further, the firstand second legs 172 and 174 cooperate to provide the hollow wire 170with a height 178 and a width 180 at an upper end of the trough 176 ofthe hollow wire 170. The trough 176 thus defines an inner space of thehollow wire 170.

While the troughs of the hollow wires of FIGS. 15-18 have been depictedas being substantially linear as they extend longitudinally from one endof the hollow wire to the opposite end, it is to be understood that thetroughs may extend in any non-linear form longitudinally, such as forexample, but not by way of limitation, in a spiral configurationlongitudinally.

For FIGS. 15-18, a flower stem may be disposed and held in placethereabout with or without requiring that the flower stem be affixed tothe hollow wire 150 or 170. For example, a bonding material may berequired to maintain the hollow wire 150 or 170 in a position about theflower stem; alternatively, the hollow wire 150 or 170 could be wrappedspirally about the flower stem and thus maintained in a position aboutthe flower stem without requiring the use of a bonding material.

The term “bonding material” as used herein, means any type of materialor thing which can be used to effect the bonding or connecting of twomaterials or portions of the same material. Examples of bondingmaterials used in accordance with the presently disclosed and claimedinventive concept(s) include, but are not limited to, adhesives,pressure sensitive adhesives, cohesives, heat sealable materials such asheat sealable lacquers and hot melt materials, sonic sealable andvibratory sealable materials, ties, labels, bands, ribbons, strings,tapes (including single or double-sided adhesive tapes), staples andcombinations thereof.

In yet another embodiment of the presently disclosed and claimedinventive concept(s), any of the hollow wires described hereinpreviously may be provided with an outer coating disposed on at least aportion thereof. FIGS. 19-26 illustrate outer coatings disposed onexemplary hollow wire cores, and also illustrate different types andconfigurations of such outer coatings, as described in greater detailherein below.

FIGS. 19 and 20 illustrate a hollow wire 190 that includes a hollow core191 and an outer coating 192. The hollow wire 191 may be similar inconstruction to any of the hollow wires described herein, such as butnot limited to the hollow wire 10 of FIGS. 1 and 2. The outer coating192 may be constructed of any suitable material known in the art forcoating wire. For example but not by way of limitation, the outercoating 192 may be constructed of paper, plastic, ribbon material,rubber, polymeric material, fabric, enamel, paint, metal, metallizedfabric, metallized polymeric film, ceramic material, flocking, bondingmaterial, combinations thereof, or any other material known by a personof ordinary skill in the art for covering a wire.

It should be noted that any of the hollow wires described herein may becompletely, or partially covered with an outer coating, such as theouter coating 192, along at least a portion of a length thereof. Forexample, shown in FIGS. 21 and 22 is a hollow wire 200 having a hollowcore 201 and an outer coating 202. The hollow core 201 is similar inconstruction to the hollow wire 30 hereinbefore described with referenceto FIGS. 3 and 4. That is, the hollow core 201 is provided with a gap204 which extends longitudinally along the length of the hollow core201. The outer coating 202, which is constructed of material similar tothose of the outer coating 192 of the hollow wire 190, does not extendcompletely over a gap 204 of the hollow core 201. However, it should beunderstood that the outer coating 202 could be modified to coat andcover the gap 204 of hollow core 201 if desired.

It is to be understood that any of the hollow wires described hereinpreviously may be provided with an outer coating on at least a portionthereof, as described in relation to FIGS. 19-22 or as otherwisedescribed herein or known in the art. Thus, such coated hollow wires (orpartially coated hollow wires also fall within the scope of thepresently disclosed and claimed inventive concept(s).

Another embodiment of hollow wire of the presently disclosed and claimedinventive concept(s) is shown in FIGS. 23 and 24, and is designatedtherein by the general reference numeral 210. The hollow wire 210 isprovided with a hollow core 211 and an outer coating 212. The hollowcore 211 may be similar in construction to any of the hollow wires 10,30, 50, 70, 90, 110 and 130 hereinbefore described with reference toFIGS. 1-14, or any other hollow wire described herein. However, theouter coating 212 defines a pair of oppositely disposed wings 214 and216 substantially as shown. Thus, the hollow wire 210 can be used as a“ribbon wire” as known to persons of ordinary skill in the art. Forexample but not by way of limitation, the outer layer 212 may be formedof one or more layers of paper, plastic, rubber, fabric, ribbonmaterial, polymeric material, metal, ceramic, paint, combinationsthereof, or any other such material known for the purpose of covering awire by persons of ordinary skill in the art.

It is to be understood that while the hollow wire 210 is illustrated ashaving a pair of oppositely disposed wings 214 and 216, the presentlydisclosed and claimed inventive concept(s) is not limited to the hollowwire 210 having two wings. For example, the hollow wire 210 may beconstructed with a single wing. This embodiment of the presentlydisclosed and claimed inventive concept(s) would result in the hollowcore 211 being disposed on an outer edge of the hollow wire 210, ratherthan being disposed in the center 210 of the hollow wire 210, as shownin FIGS. 23-24. In such embodiment, the outer coating 212 may extendaround the hollow core 211 and therefore fully cover the hollow core211, or a portion of the hollow core 211 may extend beyond the outercoating 212 and thus be exposed.

Any of the hollow wires described herein may be used in the manner ofthe hollow wire 210 as shown in FIGS. 23 and 24 or as describedelsewhere herein. For example, as shown in FIGS. 25 and 26, a hollowwire 220 includes a hollow core 221 covered by an outer layer 222 havinga pair of oppositely wings 224 and 226 substantially as shown. Thehollow core 221 is provided with a longitudinally extending gap 228 andis similar in construction to the hollow wire 30 hereinbefore describedwith reference to FIGS. 3 and 4.

Shown in FIG. 27 is yet another embodiment of hollow wire in accordancewith the presently disclosed and claimed inventive concept(s) that isdesignated therein by the reference numeral 230. The hollow wire 230 issimilar in construction to the hollow wire 10 hereinbefore describedwith reference to FIGS. 1 and 2, except that the hollow wire 230 has oneor more corrugated or scored portions 232 to facilitate bending of thehollow wire 230. The corrugated or scored portions 232 may be disposedalong only a portion of the length of the hollow wire 230, substantiallyas shown in FIG. 27, or the corrugated or scored portions 232 may extendsubstantially along the entire length of the hollow wire 230. Any of thehollow wires described hereinbefore may be provided with corrugated orscored portions in a similar manner.

In addition, any of the hollow wires described herein may be providedwith at least one interlocking portion that functions to maintain thehollow wire in a bent position. The interlocking portions may beutilized with the corrugated or scored portions 232 as known in the art.In one embodiment, the interlocking portion may be a hook-like extensionthat engages a groove or triangular crease on another portion of thehollow wire. However, other examples of interlocking portions are knownin the art, and therefore the above-described example of an interlockingportion is not to be considered limiting.

Any of the embodiments of hollow wire of the presently disclosed andclaimed inventive concept(s) can be used in a variety of manners,including but not limited to, any uses for which floral wire isacceptable, including but not limited to, floral arranging, craft orhobby uses, home decor uses, and other various decorative uses. Forexample, FIGS. 28-33 demonstrate five uses of a hollow wire 240 (whichmay be any of the hollow wires hereinbefore described) in supporting asingle plant stem 242 of a flower or plant 244. In FIG. 28, the hollowwire 240 is wrapped about the plant stem 242 by methods known in the artfor wrapping floral wire about a plant stem. In FIG. 29, the hollow wire240 is inserted into the plant stem 242 of the flower or plant 244 bymethods known in the art for inserting floral wire into a plant stem. InFIG. 30, the hollow wire 240 is extended along the plant stem 242 of theflower or plant 244 and provides support at an upper portion thereof,wherein the hollow wire 240 is hooked about or through a portion of theplant stem 245.

In FIG. 31, the hollow wire 240 is disposed substantially parallel toand substantially adjacent at least a portion of the plant stem 242 ofthe flower or plant 244. Rather than wrapping the hollow wire 240 aboutthe plant stem 242, the hollow wire 240 and the plant stem 242 aresimply placed side-by-side, and floral tape 246 is then wrapped about atleast a portion thereof to hold the hollow wire 240 in position aboutthe plant stem 242 and provide support thereto. In FIG. 32, the hollowwire 240 is inserted into the plant stem 242 or a portion of a flowerhead 248 (such as a calyx of the flower head 248) of the flower or plant244 and extends up into the flower head 248 of the flower or plant 244.A hook 249 is then formed in the end of the hollow wire 240 extendingthrough the flower head 248, and the hollow wire 240 is then pulled backdown through the flower 242 until the hook is firmly embedded in theflower head 248. The portion of the hollow wire 240 disposed adjacentthe plant stem 242 may then be wrapped thereabout, as described inrelation to FIG. 28, or taped thereabout, as described in relation toFIG. 31.

In another method, the hollow wire 240 may be inserted as described forFIG. 32, except the hollow wire 240 does not extend through the flowerhead 248. That is, the hollow wire 240 is inserted into the plant stem242 or a portion of the flower head 248 without extending above the topof the flower head 248 to form the loop 249; in this fashion, an upperend of the hollow wire 240 is not visible in the manner shown in FIG.32.

In FIG. 33, at least a portion of the plant stem 242 of the flower orplant 244 is inserted into the hollow wire 240.

Any of the techniques described herein with reference to FIGS. 28-33, aswell as any other methods described herein or known in the art, may beutilized to lengthen the stem of a flower in addition to providingsupport thereto. This lengthening is accomplished by simply having thehollow wire extend beyond the plant stem.

Once the hollow wire 240 is disposed about or through the plant stem 242by any of the methods shown in FIGS. 28-33 or otherwise known in theart, the plant stem 242 and hollow wire 240 may be wrapped with floraltape is desired, and can then be inserted together into a floral foam orother floral support material for supporting the plant. Alternatively, anumber of flowers and/or plants can be combined to form a floralgrouping. When combined to form the floral grouping, only one or only aportion of the floral grouping may have hollow wire disposed thereaboutto support the individual flowers and/or plants.

Optionally, rather than disposing hollow wire about one or moreindividual flowers and/or plants that are then utilized in producing afloral grouping, a plurality of flowers and/or plants may be firstcombined to form the floral grouping, and then at least one piece ofhollow wire disposed about the floral grouping. For example, FIG. 34depicts a floral grouping 250 comprising a grouping of flowers, eachhaving a plant stem 252. The flowers are bunched together such that theplurality of plants stems 252 are brought into close proximity to oneanother, and then at least one hollow wire 254 (which may be any of thehollow wires herein before described) is wrapped about the plurality ofplant stems 252 to secure the floral grouping.

Any of the methods described herein may include the step of taping atleast a portion of wired flower(s) and/or plant(s) with floral tape.Taping serves several purposes, including but not limited to, holdingmoisture into the stem of a flower or plant, concealing the hollow wire,and ensuring that the flower/plant does not slip out of a wired mount.

FIG. 35 depicts a corsage 260 produced using a hollow wire 262 of thepresently disclosed and claimed inventive concept(s). The hollow wire262 may be any of the hollow wires described herein. The corsage 260comprises at least one flower 264, and may further comprise at least onefiller material 266. Examples of filler materials utilized in the art ofcorsage making include, but are not limited to, baby's breath, leaves,ribbons, bows, and combinations thereof. The flower 264 and the at leastone filler material 266 are placed together such that at least a portionof their stems are substantially adjacent and parallel. Then the hollowwire 262 is wrapped about at least a portion thereof by any of themethods described herein or known in the art. The stems with hollow wire262 disposed thereabout may further be wrapped with floral tape, ifdesired.

The hollow wire of the presently disclosed and claimed inventiveconcept(s) may also be used to construct various wire forms that areutilized in various floral and craft embodiments. FIG. 36 is a top planview of a wire netting or mesh 270 which may be employed in theconstruction of various types of floral arrangements, such as corsages,floral wreaths, and the like. Any of the hollow wires hereinbeforedescribed can be employed in the construction of the wire netting ormesh 270; and the wire netting or mesh 270 can be formed usingconventional procedures well known in the art. In addition, the wirenetting or mesh 270 may be used in a substantially flattened form asshown in FIG. 36, or the wire netting or mesh 270 may be shaped into anydesired floral or craft form known in the art. Other types of floral orcraft wire forms are known in the art, and the use of hollow wire in theconstruction of the same also falls within the scope of the presentlydisclosed and claimed inventive concept(s). In addition, the wirenetting or mesh 270 formed of the hollow wire of the presently disclosedand claimed inventive concept(s) may also be utilized in the formationof fencing or caging materials, such as but not limited to, animal orpoultry-type fencing, tomato caging, and the like.

Referring now to FIG. 37, shown therein is a pictorial representation ofa wreath 280 supported on an easel 282 via a support member 284. Thesupport member 284 may assume any floral wire form known in the art, andcan be fabricated using any of the hollow wire hereinbefore describe;therefore, the particular form of the support member 284 shown in FIG.37 is for the purposes of illustration only. The support member 284 isof conventional construction, as is the construction of the wreath 280and its attachment to the support member 284. Thus, no further commentsconcerning the construction of the support member 284 or its connectionto the wreath 280 or the easel 282 is believed necessary in order toenable those skilled in the art to construct and use the support member284 constructed of the hollow wires of the presently disclosed andclaimed inventive concept(s).

In addition, at least a portion of the floral easel 282 of FIG. 37 mayalso be formed of a hollow wire in accordance with the presentlydisclosed and claimed inventive concept(s).

Referring now to FIGS. 38-40, shown therein is a floral easel or plaque290 for use with a headstone, monument stone and/or casket. The terms“easel”, “plaque” and “saddle” are used herein interchangeably indescribing the apparatus shown in FIGS. 38-40.

At least a portion of the floral easel or plaque 290 is constructedutilizing hollow wires of the presently disclosed and claimed inventiveconcept(s). For example, at least a portion of the floral easel orplaque 290 can be fabricated of the hollow wire 10 or any other hollowwire hereinbefore described, and if desired, at least a portion of thehollow wire can be provided with a coating, such as but not limited tothe outer coatings 192, 202 or 212 of the hollow wires 190, 200 or 210,respectively. FIG. 39 depicts the use of the floral easel or plaque 290in supporting a floral grouping 292 attached thereto on a casket 294,whereas FIG. 40 illustrates the use of the floral easel or plaque 290 insupporting the floral grouping 292 on a headstone 296.

The construction of the floral easel or plaque 290 is well known, as isthe use of same to support a floral grouping on a casket and/or a stonein a cemetery. Thus, no further comments concerning the construction ofthe floral easel or plaque 290 or the attachment of the floral grouping292 thereto is believed necessary for one skilled in the art toconstruct and employ a stone and/or casket floral easel utilizing thehollow wires of the presently disclosed and claimed inventiveconcept(s).

In addition, while one specific embodiment of a floral easel or plaquefor use with caskets and/or monuments is described in illustratedherein, it is to be understood that any variations in floral easels orplaques known in the art and utilized for this same purpose also fallwithin the scope of the presently disclosed and claimed inventiveconcept(s) when formed of hollow wire in accordance with the presentlydisclosed and claimed inventive concept(s).

Further, it is to be understood that the floral easels, plaques and/orsaddles formed of hollow wire in accordance with the presently disclosedand claimed inventive concept(s) may be utilized for any desiredpurpose, for example but not by way of limitation, with caskets,tombstones, headstones, stone monuments, and any other type of memorial.

Other uses of the hollow wire of the presently disclosed and claimedinventive concept(s) will become apparent to persons of ordinary skillin the art of the floral industry or other industries in which wires maybe used, including, but not limited to bag-closing wires, bale ties,pail handles, spiral bindings, (such as spiral bound notebooks),staples, craft and hobby wire, greening pins, staple wire, nails and thelike may apply.

Changes may be made in the construction and the operation of the variouscomponents, elements and assemblies described herein or in the steps orthe sequence of steps of the methods described herein without departingfrom the spirit and scope of the presently disclosed and claimedinventive concept(s) as defined in the following claims.

From the above description, it is clear that the presently disclosed andclaimed inventive concept(s) is well adapted to carry out the objectsand to attain the advantages mentioned herein as well as those inherentin the presently disclosed and claimed inventive concept(s). Whilecertain embodiments of the presently disclosed and claimed inventiveconcept(s) have been described for purposes of this disclosure, it willbe understood that numerous changes may be made which will readilysuggest themselves to those skilled in the art and which areaccomplished within the spirit of the inventive concept(s) disclosed andclaimed.

1. A method of supporting a flower, comprising: providing at least oneflower having a stem; providing a hollow wire having a sidewall havingan outer surface, an inner surface, an outer diameter and an innerdiameter; and disposing the hollow wire into or about at least a portionof the stem of the at least one flower.
 2. The method of claim 1 furthercomprising the step of inserting the at least one flower stem and hollowwire in a support material for providing a floral arrangement.
 3. Themethod of claim 1 wherein, in the disposing step, at least a portion ofthe stem of the at least one flower is disposed within the hollow wire.4. The method of claim 1 wherein, in the disposing step, a portion ofthe hollow wire is inserted into a portion of the flower stem.
 5. Themethod of claim 1 wherein, in the step of providing a hollow wire, thehollow wire has a circular, oval, elliptical, or paraboliccross-section.
 6. The method of claim 1 wherein, in the step ofproviding a hollow wire, the hollow wire has at least one corrugated orscored portion.
 7. The method of claim 1 wherein, in the step ofproviding a hollow wire, the hollow wire has at least one interlockingportion.
 8. The method of claim 1 wherein, in the step of providing ahollow wire, the hollow wire is covered with a coating, wherein thecoating is selected from the group consisting of paper, plastic, fabric,ribbon, rubber, polymeric material, metal, enamel, paint, metallizedfabric, metallized polymeric film, ceramic material, flocking, bondingmaterial, and combinations thereof.
 9. The method of claim 1 wherein, inthe step of providing at least one flower having a stem, the at leastone flower is further defined as a plurality of flowers, each having astem, and wherein the hollow wire is disposed about the plurality ofstems of the plurality of flowers.
 10. A method of supporting a flower,comprising: providing at least one flower having a stem; providing ahollow wire having a sidewall having an outer surface, an inner surface,an outer diameter, an inner diameter, a first longitudinal edge and asecond longitudinal edge; and disposing the hollow wire into or about atleast a portion of the stem of the at least one flower.
 11. The methodof claim 10 further comprising the step of inserting the at least oneflower stem and hollow wire in a support material for providing a floralarrangement.
 12. The method of claim 10 wherein, in the disposing step,at least a portion of the stem of the at least one flower is disposedwithin the hollow wire.
 13. The method of claim 10 wherein, in thedisposing step, a portion of the hollow wire is inserted into a portionof the flower stem.
 14. The method of claim 10 wherein, in the step ofproviding a hollow wire, at least a portion of the first and secondlongitudinal edges of the hollow wire overlap.
 15. The method of claim10 wherein, in the step of providing a hollow wire, at least a portionof the first and second longitudinal edges of the hollow wire abut oneanother.
 16. The method of claim 10 wherein, in the step of providing ahollow wire, the hollow wire has a gap between the first and secondlongitudinal edges.
 17. The method of claim 10 wherein, in the step ofproviding a hollow wire, the hollow wire has a circular, oval,elliptical, or parabolic cross-section.
 18. The method of claim 10wherein, in the step of providing a hollow wire, the hollow wire has atleast one corrugated or scored portion.
 19. The method of claim 10wherein, in the step of providing a hollow wire, the hollow wire has atleast one interlocking portion.
 20. The method of claim 10 wherein, inthe step of providing a hollow wire, the hollow wire is covered with acoating, wherein the coating is selected from the group consisting ofpaper, plastic, fabric, ribbon, rubber, polymeric material, metal,enamel, paint, metallized fabric, metallized polymeric film, ceramicmaterial, flocking, bonding material, and combinations thereof.
 21. Themethod of claim 10 wherein, in the step of providing at least one flowerhaving a stem, the at least one flower is further defined as a pluralityof flowers, each having a stem, and wherein the hollow wire is disposedabout the plurality of stems of the plurality of flowers.
 22. A methodof supporting a flower, comprising: providing at least one flower havinga stem; providing a hollow wire having a sidewall having an outersurface, an inner surface, an inner space, a first longitudinal edge anda second longitudinal edge; and disposing the hollow wire into or aboutat least a portion of the stem of the at least one flower.
 23. Themethod of claim 22 further comprising the step of inserting the at leastone flower stem and hollow wire in a support material for providing afloral arrangement.
 24. The method of claim 22 wherein, in the disposingstep, at least a portion of the stem of the at least one flower isdisposed within the hollow wire.
 25. The method of claim 22 wherein, inthe disposing step, a portion of the hollow wire is inserted into aportion of the flower stem.
 26. The method of claim 22 wherein, in thestep of providing a hollow wire, the hollow wire has a longitudinalgroove which extends along a length of the hollow wire.
 27. The methodof claim 22 wherein, in the step of providing a hollow wire, at least aportion of the first and second longitudinal edges of the hollow wireoverlap.
 28. The method of claim 22 wherein, in the step of providing ahollow wire, at least a portion of the first and second longitudinaledges of the hollow wire abut one another.
 29. The method of claim 22wherein, in the step of providing a hollow wire, the hollow wire has agap between the first and second longitudinal edges.
 30. The method ofclaim 22 wherein, in the step of providing a hollow wire, the hollowwire has a polygonal cross-section.
 31. The method of claim 30 whereinthe cross-section of the hollow wire is selected from the groupconsisting of square, rectangular, triangular, pentagonal, hexagonal,octagonal, and trapezoidal.
 32. The method of claim 22 wherein, in thestep of providing a hollow wire, the hollow wire is covered with acoating, wherein the coating is selected from the group consisting ofpaper, plastic, fabric, ribbon, rubber, polymeric material, metal,enamel, paint, metallized fabric, metallized polymeric film, ceramicmaterial, flocking, bonding material, and combinations thereof.
 33. Themethod of claim 22 wherein, in the step of providing at least one flowerhaving a stem, the at least one flower is further defined as a pluralityof flowers, each having a stem, and wherein the hollow wire is disposedabout the plurality of stems of the plurality of flowers.
 34. A methodof supporting a flower, comprising the steps of: providing at least oneflower; providing a hollow wire; and connecting the hollow wire to atleast a portion of the at least one flower to provide support thereto.